Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Frustration erupts in testy commissioner exchanges over UMC governance

County Commissioner's Meeting

Mona Shield Payne

Clark County commissioners listen to a speaker during a meeting at the Clark County Government Center in Las Vegas on Tuesday, March 19, 2013.

Clark County Commissioners

Clark County Commissioner Steve Sisolak Launch slideshow »
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UMC, owned by Clark County, is the region's only public hospital.

Map of University Medical Center of Southern Nevada

University Medical Center of Southern Nevada

1800 W Charleston Blvd, Las Vegas

Tensions flared and accusations of disrespect were traded among Clark County commissioners Wednesday when they met to discuss forming an independent board to oversee operations at University Medical Center.

“There was no purpose or reason for a motion today,” Commissioner Chris Giunchigliani said to Commissioner Lawrence Weekly. “It disrespected you as UMC chair and I’m getting real tired of it.”

Comments after a vote has already been made are rare, and Giunchigliani’s came after nearly two hours of debate that had nearly reached its boiling-over point.

The supposed purpose of the meeting was to approve a request by Weekly to bring in health care expert Larry Gage to present different options and models of governance at UMC.

That objective became lost in the crossfire when Commissioner Steve Sisolak made a motion to move ahead with a proposal he’s been pushing for months that would shift the county commission’s supervisory role at the hospital to an independent board of experts.

Although Giunchigliani and Weekly said they’re open to eventually moving in that direction, they felt Sisolak’s motion came too soon in the process.

“It wasn’t much that I asked of you all. I just asked you to sit and listen to a presentation first and then let’s put the meat on the bones,” Weekly said, addressing several of the other commissioners. “You’ve pretty much made a decision before you’ve allowed a process to even take place.”

A revised motion was eventually passed Wednesday that allows staff to begin working with Gage to figure out how the independent board would function, although another vote would be required to actually establish the board.

The 4-3 vote in favor underscored the split in opinions on the board, which has been publicly divided on the governance issue for months.

A bloc led by commission Chairman Sisolak and including commissioners Larry Brown, Susan Brager and Mary Beth Scow voted in favor of the revised motion. That group has strongly supported taking supervisory power of the hospital away from the county commission and giving it to an independent board of experts, who presumably would have more time and expertise to lend to UMC.

Sisolak said he’s “extremely frustrated” with the governance debate and added “we’ve been at this a long time.”

“I just think that we’re treading water here and we’re not swimming forward,” he said.

The four voted in January to support a legislative effort to allow the creation of such a board. But when the bill came up for a hearing in the Assembly, commissioners Weekly, Giunchigliani and Tom Collins shared harsh words opposing the proposal during public testimony.

The Legislature’s decision not to pass the bill didn’t end the governance debate, but it did publicly emphasize the split between board members.

The faction of Weekly, Giunchigliani and Collins has maintained that the hospital’s financial issues, which will require a $31 million county subsidy this year, are best addressed by creating some sort of dedicated revenue stream.

“Nothing in there talks about what the county’s responsibility still is to help with financing the hospital, and I think that’s got to be part of the conversation,” Giunchigliani said of Wednesday’s motion.

The next step for the county is to bring in Gage for a public presentation to the commissioners, which will take place at a later meeting depending on Gage’s availability.

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